Lee Jung-mi "Impeachment of Lee Sang-min Passed... President Yoon Must Feel Responsible"

"Waiting for the Constitutional Court's Wise Judgment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, stated that President Yoon Seok-yeol should feel some responsibility for the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min in the National Assembly plenary session.

On the afternoon of the same day, Lee posted on social media (SNS), "The people have repeatedly demanded that political moral responsibility be fulfilled and have given enough time," adding, "Since he could not resolve it himself, the National Assembly ultimately stepped in."

Lee said, "I hope President Yoon feels at least some responsibility for the National Assembly's decision. By persistently protecting Minister Lee, who should clearly be held accountable, it led to the unprecedented proposal of ministerial impeachment and suspension of duties," warning, "The government and the ruling party should not oppose today's decision of the National Assembly. Do not misjudge that this can be dismissed as a political attack."

She also urged an official apology. Lee sharply criticized, "Instead of blaming the opposition parties who proposed the impeachment, they should meet with the bereaved families now, offer a formal and profound apology, and apologize to the people for retaining an incompetent and irresponsible minister."

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo announced the passage of the impeachment motion against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min on the 8th at the plenary session of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Lee also expressed hope for a wise judgment from the Constitutional Court. She said, "The reasons for the impeachment vote are very obvious and simple. Minister Lee neglected the duties of the Minister of the Interior and Safety as stipulated by the Constitution and the Government Organization Act, including the overall coordination of safety and disaster-related policies and emergency preparedness," adding, "Now the ball is in the Constitutional Court's court."

Lee added, "I hope Kim Do-eup, the chairman of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee who will act as the prosecutor in the Constitutional Court, and a member of the People Power Party, will faithfully fulfill his given duties," warning, "If Assemblyman Kim merely repeats Minister Lee's excuse of 'I don't know if this is grounds for impeachment' again, he will prove himself to be on the same level as Minister Lee, who has never met the bereaved families but claims to have 'offered apologies and condolences,' and on the same level as the ruling party."

Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Minister Lee in the afternoon of the same day. This is the first time in constitutional history that an impeachment motion against a cabinet member has passed the National Assembly.